US Navy sailor aboard USS Lincoln says father arrested by immigration officials; pens heartfelt note

US Navy sailor Joshua Aviles has expressed his distress over his father's arrest by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to a Facebook post on Sunday. Aviles, who has been aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier facing mental health challenges, wrote that his father, Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, was taken by ICE after being arrested during a traffic stop in Key West, Florida on August 22.

Aviles claims that his father, a Nicaraguan native, has a valid driver's license, Social Security card, and work permit, and had been working to obtain his green card. He described his father's alleged "crime" as merely wanting to provide a better life for Aviles' siblings. Aviles pleaded for his father's release, stating he would do "everything I can to bring you back home."

The DHS confirmed Aviles' father's arrest, noting that he entered the country illegally and is currently in ICE custody facing deportation proceedings. The department emphasized that having a family member in the military does not exempt individuals from enforcing US laws. Aviles' post highlights the increasing trend of US immigration enforcement impacting military families, which has become more common under President Donald Trump's administration.